15 Best Smelling Houseplants To Perfume Your Home

While outdoor plants have their charm, indoor plants truly shine when it comes to aesthetic appeal and invigorating scent. Not only do they brighten up a room with their vibrant foliage, but they also possess the power to boost our mood and create a sense of serenity. With this in mind, we’ve curated a selection of 15 top-performing houseplants that will captivate your senses and leave you wanting more.

Whether you’re looking for a unique addition to your home decor or a thoughtful gift, we’re confident that one of these fragrant wonders will resonate with your personality.

LEMON BALM (MELISSA OFFICINALIS)

Lemon balm is a lush, aromatic plant with leaves that exude a sweet, citrusy fragrance reminiscent of fresh lemons. Its invigorating presence can instantly brighten any room, making it an excellent choice for purifying the air and adding a touch of natural charm to your home.

To fully appreciate its refreshing qualities, place the pot near a sunny window where the warmth can release the fragrant oils within the leaves.

This will not only fill the space with a delightful aroma but also create a peaceful ambiance perfect for unwinding before bed.

ENGLISH LAVENDER (LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA)

Lavender is a captivating plant that boasts not only its enchanting aroma, but also an impressive array of health benefits. Its calming properties and soothing scent have earned it a reputation as a natural stress-reliever. With minimal maintenance requirements, including sufficient sunlight or regular watering, lavender plants are perfect for indoor gardens, making them an ideal addition to any home.

WHITE JASMINE (JASMINUM POLYANTHUM)

Jasmine, a dainty yet striking flower, can elevate the ambiance of any home with its subtle yet sophisticated presence. The plant’s delicate white petals and lush green leaves create a visually appealing contrast that sets it apart from other plants. Furthermore, the fragrance emitted by Jasmine has the power to transform your space into a serene oasis, reminiscent of freshly laundered linens.

To cultivate this beautiful plant, it is essential to provide it with sufficient bright light while shielding it from drafts and maintaining optimal water retention. Regular watering rituals are also crucial in maintaining the ideal humidity levels necessary for Jasmine’s growth and well-being.

GARDENIA (GARDENIA JASMINOIDES)

The allure of gardenia plants lies not only in their striking foliage, characterized by dark green and glossy leaves, but also in the intoxicating fragrance they emit. Their most distinctive feature, however, is perhaps the delicate white flowers that unfold, releasing a sweetly scented aroma that can instantly transform any room into a cozy haven.

CITRUS TREE (CITRUS SPP.)

Citrus fruit trees are a wonderful way to introduce the sweet scent of sunshine into your home. These compact plants can thrive as miniatures, requiring generous amounts of sunlight and warmth to produce fragrant blossoms that capture the essence of their luscious fruits! They’re also relatively low-maintenance, needing only occasional watering – just be sure to keep an eye out to ensure they don’t get too parched.

While it may take around six years for these little trees to mature, once they do, they’ll burst into bloom, filling your space with a vibrant display of color and fragrance.

TWINKLE ORCHID (ONCIDIUM)

With over 30,000 known species, orchids offer a kaleidoscope of colors and bloom shapes. Each variety boasts its distinct fragrance, making every encounter with these flowers a sensory delight. While they thrive in bright natural light, such as the warm rays streaming through windowsills, it’s also essential to pair them with complementary potted plants for optimal visual appeal. This harmonious coexistence allows both orchids and neighboring plants to flourish.

SCENTED LEAF GERANIUM (PELARGONIUM SPP.)

Geraniums stand out for their unparalleled beauty, boasting flawless flower spikes and a potent fragrance that can effortlessly fill a room. But what sets them apart? For one, they’re singularly unique – there’s no other plant like it on the planet. And while their vibrant colors are certainly striking, their most remarkable feature is the sheer volume of petals on each bloom, which release a sweet scent day and night, ensuring a constant supply of fresh air.

STEPHANOTIS (MARSDENIA FLORIBUNDA)

Stephanotis, a versatile vining plant, showcases its beauty in the form of clusters of fragrant, waxy flowers that bloom in spring and summer. What sets it apart is its low-maintenance nature, requiring only bright light to thrive, with no need for artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

The dark green leaves with intricate patterns add an extra layer of visual appeal, making them a pleasure to behold regardless of the season – whether you’re gazing upon them through snow-covered landscapes or enjoying their shade on a warm summer day.

EUCALYPTUS TREE (EUCALYPTUS CINEREA)

Eucalyptus plants are a game-changer for those seeking a refreshing aroma in their living or working spaces. However, they can be finicky to cultivate due to their rapid watering needs. To ensure your eucalyptus plant thrives, it’s crucial to regularly inspect the soil moisture level and provide it with the necessary attention every few weeks, guaranteeing it receives the love it deserves.

SWEET BAY (LAURUS NOBILIS)

Sweet bay’s distinctive feature is its lush, dark green foliage with a glossy sheen. The aromatic leaves emit a subtle blend of herbal and floral notes, making them an intriguing addition to soups or stews when pruned periodically. This unique scent profile can add depth and complexity to various dishes. In terms of sunlight, sweet bays thrive in full sun but are also adaptable to partial shade conditions.

However, it’s essential to ensure that nearby trees don’t compromise their space by encroaching on their branches. The sweetbay tree’s rugged trunk features sharp thorns, which can cause injuries if not handled carefully.

TEA ROSE BEGONIA (BEGONIA ‘TEA ROSE’)

This enchanting tea rose cultivar boasts a unique combination of characteristics that set it apart. Its broad, green leaves provide a striking contrast to its vibrant red stem, which serves as the backdrop for clusters of delicate, pinkish-white flowers. These blooms are not only visually stunning but also emit a lightly sweet fragrance, enticing you to take a closer sniff.

To keep this beauty thriving, simply provide medium to bright light when kept indoors or maintain high humidity levels by placing it near a dampened towel.

HELIOTROPE (HELIOTROPIUM ARBORESCENS)

Heliotrope’s enchanting appearance, marked by delicate violet flowers and a sweet vanilla aroma, has won the hearts of many gardeners. While it can be grown indoors with sufficient sunlight and humidity, heliotrope is more commonly found in USDA zones 8 through 11 where it thrives with proper care. One notable difference between indoor and outdoor hydrangeas is the frequency of blossoms – those cultivated inside often produce more blooms than their outdoor counterparts.

To encourage continued flowering, simply remove spent blooms as they appear, allowing for a longer display of beauty indoors.

ANGEL’S TRUMPET (BRUGMANSIA X CANDIDA)

As soon as you enter a space where Angel Trumpet is present, you’ll be enveloped by its heavenly aroma, which permeates every corner and leaves no room untouched. The sweetness of this fragrance is so potent that it can actually fill an entire room, creating an immersive experience that will leave you mesmerized.

FRANGIPANI (PLUMERIA SPP.)

The sweet allure of frangipani flowers is a sensory experience like no other. Their delicate, five-petal blooms come in a range of colors, from crisp whites and sunny yellows to soft pinks and deep reds – the latter being the most prevalent due to its intoxicating fragrance. As the sun dips below the horizon, the scent of frangipani can fill even the largest of spaces, transporting you to a world of serenity.

To keep these enchanting plants thriving, they require direct sunlight for at least four hours a day – whether grown indoors or outdoors, depending on their location. Watering is also crucial, with indoor plants needing about two inches of moisture daily and outdoor varieties requiring adjustments based on their surroundings.

BLUE PASSIONFLOWER (PASSIFLORA CAERULEA)

The blue passionflower is a breathtaking specimen that boasts an intricate display of vibrant sepals, petals, and filaments. But its striking appearance is only half the story – this plant also releases a captivating minty-fresh fragrance that’s sure to draw you in. To keep your passionflower looking its best, be prepared to provide some support, such as a cage or hoop, to prevent it from spreading too far and making a mess.

It does well when planted in spacious pots with established roots, which allows it to thrive. When it comes to watering, make sure to get the job done right – these plants adore high humidity levels of 70%+ and prefer temperatures between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit during the hot summer months when direct sunlight can be particularly intense.